The developer of the Isleworth subdivision won approval from the Orange County Commission this week to repair a faulty retention system that residents have said is polluting Lake Bessie.But the lakefront residents who last year called for the improvements on Monday strongly opposed the repairs proposed by Isleworth. They said the changes will not assure that the developer will not drain polluted water into the landlocked lake surrounded by the Butler Chain.Isleworth attorney William Doster said the repaired retention system will be ''the first step'' to solving a yearlong dispute between the luxury golf course development and lakefront residents who sued the developer because of pollution and flooding problems with the lake.

Just as judges can be subject to a merit retention system, our universities might benefit from a 'merit retention' system for professors.The time has come to review the tenure process in Florida's State University System, and Florida can lead the nation in such academic reform. The Board of Regents is holding a hearing in Orlando today to discuss tenure, its strengths and weaknesses, and what can be done to make the system work more effectively.Historically, the tenure system served to protect academic freedom by insulating professors from being dismissed because of personality, ideological or political conflicts.

A proposal to change Florida's system of selecting judges passed a Senate committee Tuesday, amid complaints that even more reform is needed.The measure (SJR 2E) would put a proposed state constitutional amendment on the November ballot to require a merit retention system for circuit and county court judges.Those judges are now elected in non-partisan races, while state Supreme Court justices and appellate judges are selected by the retention system. That is where the governor appoints judges and voters then decide in subsequent elections whether to keep them.

The Senate Wednesday narrowly defeated a proposal to change the system for selecting judges amid complaints that it would disenfranchise voters.Although the House failed to consider a similar proposal on the floor Wednesday, and the bill's Senate sponsor predicted it was dead for the special session that ends next week.''I'm very depressed,'' said Sen. Helen Gordon Davis, D-Tampa. ''I thought I had changed a few votes.''The measure (SJR 2) failed 22-18 because it required 24 votes or three-fifths of the chamber.

The Senate Wednesday narrowly defeated a proposal to change the system for selecting judges amid complaints that it would disenfranchise voters.Although the House failed to consider a similar proposal on the floor Wednesday, and the bill's Senate sponsor predicted it was dead for the special session that ends next week.''I'm very depressed,'' said Sen. Helen Gordon Davis, D-Tampa. ''I thought I had changed a few votes.''The measure (SJR 2) failed 22-18 because it required 24 votes or three-fifths of the chamber.

ISLEWORTH. Developers of the luxury Isleworth subdivision south of Windermere will ask the county's permission Monday to repair the retention and drainage system around Lake Bessie. The developer is seeking a permit to rebuild a retention system that often fails to hold water during heavy rainstorms. Nearby residents claim the water spilling into Lake Bessie is polluting the land-locked lake with water high in nitrate concentrations. Attorneys for the developer argue they are not polluting the lake.

Rains from tropical storm Keith drenched Arnold Palmer's luxury Isleworth development the morning before Thanksgiving.Almost 6 inches filled the country club's retention ponds, designed to keep stormwater polluted with fertilizer out of Lake Bessie. But pressure from the high water collapsed a sod wall and murky water spilled into the lake.Lakefront homeowners say dozens of similar drainage failures in Isleworth during the past two years have raised the lake level and slowly are poisoning Lake Bessie.

As a group of town residents prepares to take the Isleworth development to court, one of the development's owners - golfing great Arnold Palmer - says he knew nothing about what caused flooding of a lake next to the subdivision.Palmer told an army of lawyers in a closed meeting last week he knew nothing about charges of failures in the retention system near Lake Bessie.The town of Windermere and a group of homeowners around Lake Bessie are suing Palmer and several governmental agencies because they claim an ill-designed retention system caused water levels of the southwest Orange lake to rise, flooding some lakefront property.

Orange County commissioners decided Monday to take no legal action against Isleworth after county engineers said no polluted water from Arnold Palmer's country club development entered Lake Bessie during tropical storm Keith last month.Even if polluted water did enter the southwest Orange lake, the county should not act, county attorneys warned.Taking a stand could hurt the county's legal position in a lawsuit Lake Bessie homeowners and Windermere filed in 1987 against the county, Isleworth and Palmer, assistant county attorney Joe Passiatore said.

Counties could decide whether to switch to a merit retention system for selecting judges under a proposal that passed a House committee Monday.County and circuit court judges are now elected in non-partisan races. The proposal (HJR 37E) would put a proposed state constitutional amendment on the November ballot to allow a system in which judges are appointed by the governor and voters decide whether to keep them for subsequent terms.That system is now used to select Florida Supreme Court justices and district appellate judges.

A proposal to change Florida's system of selecting judges passed a Senate committee Tuesday, amid complaints that even more reform is needed.The measure (SJR 2E) would put a proposed state constitutional amendment on the November ballot to require a merit retention system for circuit and county court judges.Those judges are now elected in non-partisan races, while state Supreme Court justices and appellate judges are selected by the retention system. That is where the governor appoints judges and voters then decide in subsequent elections whether to keep them.

Counties could decide whether to switch to a merit retention system for selecting judges under a proposal that passed a House committee Monday.County and circuit court judges are now elected in non-partisan races. The proposal (HJR 37E) would put a proposed state constitutional amendment on the November ballot to allow a system in which judges are appointed by the governor and voters decide whether to keep them for subsequent terms.That system is now used to select Florida Supreme Court justices and district appellate judges.

Calling the offer an insult, the Windermere Town Council has rejected Isleworth's final proposal to settle a three-year lawsuit.Town leaders voted unanimously Thursday to let a jury decide the dispute between town residents and the private subdivision over the Isleworth water-runoff and retention system.The rejection sets the stage for an April trial - something that Isleworth attorneys said they wanted to avoid. Isleworth is partly owned by professional golfer Arnold Palmer and is one of Orange County's most exclusive neighborhoods.

The Town Council will hold a special meeting this morning to consider a settlement offer from Isleworth concerning the town's lawsuit with the country club development over drainage problems. A settlement is unlikely, according to the town attorney for the case. John Robertson is expected to suggest that the Town Council not accept Isleworth's offer because the town could do better in court. The council will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Town Hall to decide what to do about the suit.

Tavares and Mount Dora, two of 14 Florida communities that applied for state storm water demonstration grants, will receive money to pay for their proposed projects.The state Department of Environmental Regulation recently announced the eight communities that will receive grants. The amount of each grant will be made public in about six weeks, after the staff decides how to allocate nearly $2.5 million in state funds, said Randy Armstrong, DER director of water management.The state has asked counties and cities to implement various programs that would reduce the amount of storm water drainage that flows into lakes and rivers.

As a group of town residents prepares to take the Isleworth development to court, one of the development's owners - golfing great Arnold Palmer - says he knew nothing about what caused flooding of a lake next to the subdivision.Palmer told an army of lawyers in a closed meeting last week he knew nothing about charges of failures in the retention system near Lake Bessie.The town of Windermere and a group of homeowners around Lake Bessie are suing Palmer and several governmental agencies because they claim an ill-designed retention system caused water levels of the southwest Orange lake to rise, flooding some lakefront property.

Tavares and Mount Dora, two of 14 Florida communities that applied for state storm water demonstration grants, will receive money to pay for their proposed projects.The state Department of Environmental Regulation recently announced the eight communities that will receive grants. The amount of each grant will be made public in about six weeks, after the staff decides how to allocate nearly $2.5 million in state funds, said Randy Armstrong, DER director of water management.The state has asked counties and cities to implement various programs that would reduce the amount of storm water drainage that flows into lakes and rivers.

The Town Council will hold a special meeting this morning to consider a settlement offer from Isleworth concerning the town's lawsuit with the country club development over drainage problems. A settlement is unlikely, according to the town attorney for the case. John Robertson is expected to suggest that the Town Council not accept Isleworth's offer because the town could do better in court. The council will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Town Hall to decide what to do about the suit.

Orange County commissioners decided Monday to take no legal action against Isleworth after county engineers said no polluted water from Arnold Palmer's country club development entered Lake Bessie during tropical storm Keith last month.Even if polluted water did enter the southwest Orange lake, the county should not act, county attorneys warned.Taking a stand could hurt the county's legal position in a lawsuit Lake Bessie homeowners and Windermere filed in 1987 against the county, Isleworth and Palmer, assistant county attorney Joe Passiatore said.

Rains from tropical storm Keith drenched Arnold Palmer's luxury Isleworth development the morning before Thanksgiving.Almost 6 inches filled the country club's retention ponds, designed to keep stormwater polluted with fertilizer out of Lake Bessie. But pressure from the high water collapsed a sod wall and murky water spilled into the lake.Lakefront homeowners say dozens of similar drainage failures in Isleworth during the past two years have raised the lake level and slowly are poisoning Lake Bessie.